Bottling-machine attachment.



No. 669,917. manutan. l2, |901.

' T. G. FENSKE.

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(Appumm med Apr. 1o, 1960A (No Model.

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UNITED STATES PATENT UEEICE.

THEODORE G. FENSKE, OF BILTNGS, MONTANA.

BOTTLING-MACHINE ATTACHNl ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 669,917, dated March 12, 1901.

Application led April 10, 1900. Serial No. 12,367. (No model.)

T0 ttl?, w//tom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE G. FENSKE, residing at Billings, in the county of Yellowstone and State'of Montana, have invented a new and Improved Bottling-Machine Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of bottlingmachi nes having means for placing the cork into the bottle by plunger action; and' it has for its purpose to provide an attachment that will serve as a safetyguard to protect the operator from danger of being cut or otherwise injured in the event of the bottle being broken during the operation of applying the cork.

My invention also seeks to provide a very simple and inexpensive device of the character stated, which can be quickly applied to any of the common forms of bottling and corking machines having a plunger action, and it includes in its make-up a novel form of guard or screen having a portion constructed to tit over the top of the bottle to retard the upward dissemination of broken pieces when the bottle breaks, and an enlarged or truncated body which when moved to its closed position willeffectively surround the body of the bottle and retard the outward throw of any broken portions thereof.

In its subordinate features this invention embodies certain details of construction and peculiar combination of parts, all of which will hereinafter he fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a bottlingmachine equipped with my improved attachment. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, taken practically on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, the plunger being elevated and the protecting-screen swung ont to its open position. Fig. 3 is a similar view, the plunger being shown forced down and the protecting-screen closed over the front of the bottle. Fig. 4C is a vertical section illustrating the manner of detachably connecting the attachment to the machine proper, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the attachment. Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating the duplex arrangement of the guards, hereinafter referred to.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, ct designates the main frame of the bottlingmachine, b the bed portion thereof, which has a bottle-socket c, over which the straddleframe d projects, upon the side armsof which the two plunger-frames ef play vertically, the lowermost frame e having its cross-head formed with a tubular filling-hub e', having an inlet e2 at one side for the filling-hose connection. (Not shown.)

The side arms e3 e3 of the frame extend down through the bed b and join with a crossbar e4, to the ends of which retractile springs g g are connected, the upper ends of which are joined to the Linder side of the machinebed, the said springs serving to hold the frame e to its normal or uppermost position. The bar e4 has a pendent link-arm e5, that is pivotally joined to the foot-lever h. The frame fhas its side arms f also projected through the bed b, and its cross-head f2 carries a centrally-disposed pendent plungerrod t', which when the frame fis depressed passes down through the tubular hub c and serves to force the cork int-o the bottle-neck.

fx designates the cross-bar on the lower end of the side rods f' ofthe frame f, and to said bar fX `is pivotally connected a handleverj, which is pivotally hung in a bracket 7c, projected down from the bed ZJ, and the said lever has a weight Z at its outer end which serves to normally swing the handle end of the lever upward, which movement of the lever serves to hold the framef normally to its elevated position.

The above-described construction sets out a simple and common form of bottling-machine and it per se forms no part of my invention, which lies, generically, in a guard that automatically closes over the bottle as the filling or corking operation is effected and subordinately in the combination of my special form of attachment with the part of the said machine that has a reciprocating movement during the operation of fillling or corking the bottle.

My improved attachment comprises a rockshaft 10, vertically disposed in front of the stationary or straddle frame of the machine, and to one side of the bottle-receiving socket the lower end of the shaft 10 has a stepped bearing 10a, which is adapted to seat in a IOO bearing socket or opening 12, made in the bed of the machine to receive it, such socket or openingbeing all that is necessary to adapt the machine to receive my improved attachment. The upper end of the shaft 10 has a long spiral or twist portion adapted to pass through the apertured end 13L of a bracket 18, formed with an angle portion, whereby it can be conveniently secured to the crosshead 15 of the fixedly-held straddle-frame, said angled portion being held secure upon the cross-head by a clamp screw or bolt, as clearly shown in Fig. 4L.

16 indicates a protecting member in the nature of a semitruncated screen-body, the upper end of which preferably terminates in a hub-like portion 16, having a concavity 16h, whereby when the member 16 is closed in the said upper part will lit close against the filling-hub c (see Fig. 3) and over the top of the bottle. The member 16 is also provided' with laterally-projecting slotted ears 17, by means of which it can be conveniently 'and adjustably made fast to the rock-bar 10.

I am aware that guard devices have heretofore been provided for machines of the character above described, but so far as I know they have been constructed as a fixed part of the machine and not in the nature of an attachment capable of being fitted to the ordinary forms of bottling-machines without requiring a special construction of parts thereof to cooperate therewith. My invention differentiates from such forms of guard devices in that it is in the nature of an attachment that can be quickly, detachably, and adjustably secured in an operative position, and which has its body of a truncated shape, whereby the upper end will project over the neck of the bottle when the guard is moved inward and efectively prevent the upward iiying of broken pieces when the bottle breaks.

In operation as the cork-plunger frame is pulled down the rock-shaft will be rotated to bring the protecting shield or member over the bottle being operated upon, and, in consequence,should the bottle be crushed no particles thereof could fly back against the operator, it being understood that as the corkplunger frame recedes-that is, returns to its normal position-the member 16 will swing outward and permit free access fol` the removal or insertion of the bottle.

While I have illustrated my attachment as applied to abottling-machine, I desire it understood that it may be readily applied to a bottle-washing machine or other bottle-treating machine in which danger of breaking the bottle exists and in which some part of the machine has a plunger action.

If desired, instead of using a single guard or protecting member 16, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, two of such guards 16 may be employed, as shown in Fig. 6, to close over the opposite sides of the bottle. The same general arrangement of supporting devices in this form of my invention are employed as are used in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 5, excepting that a second and separate tu rn-shaft 1 0 is used for each member 16, and the bracket 18 in this latter case is extended to form an eye-bearing at each end to receive the spiral portions of the shaft lO.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a bottling or corking machine of the character described, with the corking-plunger frame, said frame including the vertically-reciprocal frame-sectionf; the table, said table having a seat to receive the bottle in an upright position; of a rockshaft disposed adjacent the bottle-receiving part of the table, said shaft having a rocking bearing on the table, the guard attached to the shaft, the guard being constructed to close over the top and one side of the bottle when the aforesaid shaft is rocked inwardly, a connection joining with the rock-shaft and the reciprocating plunger-frame portion atthe reciprocating movement of thesaid frame f, 'to impart a rotary motion to the shaft, all being` arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

2. In a machine as described, the combination with the main frame; the plunger-frame f; the frame e, having an inner hub member e', and means for reciprocally moving the said frames; of a rock-shaft 10; intermediate connections joining the shaft and the plungerframe adapted to impart a rocking action to the said shaft as the said plunger-frame is moved reciprocally, and a guard having a truncated-cone shape secured to the rockshaft and having its upper end projected inwardly and formed with a concavity whereby it will fit snugly against the hub e', when the guard is closed inward, as specified.

3. As a new article; an attachment for bottlingand corking machines comprisingarockshaft, a spiral twist at the upper end, a stepped bearing at the lower end, an eyepiece adapted to engage the twisted end of the shaft, said eyepiece having an angle or hub portion, and means for securing it to a movable part of the bottling or corking machine; and a guard comprising a screen-body having a truncated-cone shape, the upper part of which extends inwardly and has a central concavity in its inner edge, said guard having lateral members formed with elongated slots, and means for connecting the said slotted members to the rock-shaft, all being arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

THEOD ORE Gr.- FENSKE.

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